Man Down
by brokenbelljar
Summary: Hermione relives murdering Lucius Malfoy. SongFic Challenge, Man Down by Rihanna. Oneshot. Reviews appreciated!


**A/N: Top 100 Songfic Challenge  
Song: Man Down by Rihanna  
Character: Hermione Granger**

_"I didn't mean to end his life. I know it wasn't right, I can't even sleep at night." _

Hermione cried into the older woman's arms. The war was raging on and she could no longer stay strong. Too many hours and too many days had she stayed unbreakable until tonight. After one particularly long night of tossing, turning, and Ron not being close by, she turned to the one motherly figure she could - Mrs. Weasley. She had hoped that this woman could console her, at least listen and not judge. The war made everyone do ugly things.

_"I can't get it off my mind. I-I need to get out of sight...Before I end up behind bars or worse." _At this point her words were barely coherent. She was stumbling, fumbling over them all; scared of what would happen, what's going to happen when another soul finds out and comes after her. She would be punished, beaten, and left lifeless.

_What started out as a simple altercation, turned into a real sticky situation._ It had begun with shouts and name calling, _**"Mudblood, filthy mudblood," **_he had repeated over and over again. Lucius was an evil man but she still felt wrong for taking his life, especially after Draco had helped her - saved her even from his crazed Aunt Bellatrix. The older Malfoy, had taunted her, however, taunted her until her breaking point.

_"'C-cause I didn't mean to hurt him. What about Draco? He's without a father now. Despite - despite everything, I feel - I feel like I shouldn't have done that. And I took his heart when I pulled up my wand." _Her blood was thick and loud in her ears, _'rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, man down'_. It was a song she had gotten used to, a song she heard now in her every breath and step, dreams and wake. She could see the Daily Prophet now, _**"Man Down: Lucius Malfoy dead." **_

The memory soared in her mind, like a dragon in the sky. He was there, standing before her and everyone else. His words pierced her ears. Six years had she heard that word, the wrecking ball name for muggle-borns and six years was far too long. She raised her wand as everyone else lowered theirs. 'You won't do it,' he said. 'You may be the so-called brightest witch of your time but you are still a filthy no-good mudbl-' His words were cut off by hers, she was screaming an Unmentionable curse and then there was blood everywhere. He had self-combusted. Dead, blood in her hair and on her face, she didn't remember even speaking the words.

_'Rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, man down.'_ Her blood began to chant it through her ears and body. _'Man down, man down, man down,' _it cried.

_"Oh, Molly. I just c-cut a man down, in Diagon Alley, in front of a big 'ol c-crowd. Oh why, oh why?" _Her sobs were quieting but she hadn't finished. She sniffled and sighed, wanting to relive it with words, out loud to another being.

_"With my own wand, one that I've pulled out from my own sleeve," _Hermione became slightly angry at herself for crying over this man. _"What do you expect me to do, if he was playing me for a fool?. I just lost it and aimed. I didn't mean to lay him down, at first, but it's too late to turn back now. Don't know what I was thinking, now he's gone."_

At this point the young girl was slowly becoming hysterical again. _"'Cause I didn't mean to hurt him, he has a son! And I took his heart when I pulled up my wand."_

_"Rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, man down." _Her blood was pounding through her ears again, causing her to lose concentration, she gripped onto Molly again. _"Rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, man down."_

_"Look I-I never thought, never thought, I'd do it. Never thought..." _Sobs rocked through to her entire core and chilled her very being. _"Oh gosh, whatever happened to me? Happened to me, whatever? Why'd I do it?"_

Hermione sat up and looked her second mother in the eye, _"Tell me what I'm going to do? I'm a criminal now, a criminal! Will they give me minimal because it was war act? Oh, Molly."_

And when then the sobs subsided for the last time, she laid her head down on Molly Weasley's lap. As the old woman gently played with her hair, stroking, like an old dame caressing her worried grandchildren, she lightly placed her comforting hand on Hermoine's head, like one's hand resting upon the soft head of a cat after stroking its fur. Hermione listened to the sound of her blood pounding through her, singing – no more crying, but singing in joy with a faint twinge of fear and regret, the same melody over and over again.

_Rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, man down._

_Rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, man down._

_Rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, man down._

_Rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, rum bum bum bum, man down._

**A/N: Beta read by CrystalWhispers. Lyrics are italicized. I changed some of them to fit the magical world of Harry Potter and my plot. Reviews would be well appreciated and I will reply to any and all! Enjoy!**


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